Chapter 18: Gin
215 years ago,Mount Sin area
It was late in the afternoon when Kauran found him. The air was unusually colder than normal for this time of year, so the wolf yokai decided to investigate.
That was when he caught the scent-the scent of a kitsune mixed with ice. He was confused because, as far as he knew, those two breeds wouldn't typically mix. He moved closer to investigate, and that's when he discovered a young child who appeared to be in his mid-teens.
The child was sitting near a large rock, hugging his legs tightly. He appeared very small, with white fox ears and at least one fox tail moving nervously. He wore dirty robes, and there was frost on the ground, as if he were afraid of the ice. The child looked extremely exhausted and lonely.
Kauran approached slowly. He tried not to appear dangerous, even though he was a large white wolf, so it was a bit difficult. He walked up to the boy with his head low and his ears pulled back. He let out a soft whine to help calm the child. He was trying hard to appear like a friendly wolf.
The child flinched at first but seemed to relax slightly. Kauran could tell he was very guarded, but he slowly reached out to pet the wolf, which Kauran carefully pressed his snout against the child's hand. From the touch, the wolf knew the boy was a mixed breed, better known as hanyō.
Kauran sat close to the boy, allowing the child to pet his fur to help ease his nerves and relax. The wolf remained silent and still, clearly not accustomed to such interaction, yet he was very gentle. For a good two to four hours, the two sat in silence.
Time passed slowly as daylight began to fade. By then, Kauran had laid down. He seemed to be deep in thought while the child hesitantly ran his hand over the white fur.
When night had fully settled, that was when Kauran made a decision. He had to get the child to Lyra. Even though hanyōs were safe in Elyasia, the child was a rare case.
The air near the base of Mount Sin was getting sharper as the wolf noticed the boy didn't have any control of his ice magic. So that was when Kauran stood up slowly, careful not to startle the boy. He gently nudged the boy before speaking in a soft voice, "Let's go somewhere safe. Okay?"
The child blinked, his icy blue eyes widening as his fox ears flicked. He thought for a moment, and then, without a word, he pushed himself up. His fox tail moved slowly in a tense manner.
Kauran watched him as he lowered himself to the ground. "I don't think you can talk for long, so climb up. It would be faster..."
The child blinked, then he did as he was instructed. He climbed very gently onto the wolf's back.
Once the boy was all set, Kauran slowly raised himself. Once he was standing, he let out a light breath. The child was light, which was a bit concerning, but it wasn't something he was familiar with. Then he began to walk.
He didn't run but walked carefully. He didn't want the boy to fall off, so he avoided going near any trees. In fact, the wolf went to the road and followed it. It was less bumpy and would be faster as it led to the castle.
It took an hour or two, but slowly the northern castle came into view. Kauran noticed that the boy had fallen asleep on him, so he moved even more carefully toward the castle.
Once there, one of the lower watchmen blinked when he saw the wolf with a child. However, since it was known that Kauran would go out for long runs, the man said nothing. He simply opened the door for Kauran to enter.
Once inside the corridor, Kauran paused to think. Lyra would already be asleep, and he didn't want to get a pillow in the face, so he considered Kai. The wolf knew that the panther would be easier to deal with.
So the wolf carefully walked up the stairs to the panther's room. He used his paw to make a soft sound, signaling to Kai that it was him and prompting him to open the door.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing a very unhappy male. Kai was up reading new books on herbs and plants for him to use. He appeared with his long dark blue hair slightly messy, and his robes were messy as well. He did not resemble the cold yet neat-looking male he usually was. Even his rare black cat ears were visible, but he didn't notice and Kauran didn't comment.
The two stared at each other for a moment, then the panther noticed the child. "Kidnapping now, Kauran? Lyra would frown on that." It was a joke, even if it didn't sound like one. It was clear they didn't fully like each other, but they got along for the sake of their princess.
Kauran rolled his eyes and walked into the room.
Kai closed the door and approached the wolf. He picked up the sleeping child and blinked. "He's an ice...kitsune hanyō?"
Once the child was removed, Kauran shifted into his humanoid form. "Yeah, I know it's rare. Ice yokai rarely mix with other breeds," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "And he looks bad, so I thought it would be best to bring him to you."
The panther walked over to his bed and gently laid the boy down. He began to examine him. So far, Kai could only determine that the child was underweight and needed a good bath and food. The child had no wounds or marks on him. Although his skin was cold, it was something he could address later. Right now, the child needed a good night's sleep.
He then turned to the wolf. "So where did you find him?"
Kauran frowned slightly. "He was at the base of Mount Sin, closest to Alysia. It seemed like he had been left there."
The panther let out a soft hum before turning to the boy. "Go rest, Kauran. I will take care of our princess and this boy in the morning."
The wolf let out a light sigh. "Alright..." With that, Kauran walked out of the room, letting out a small yawn. He went to his room for some much-needed sleep.
Kai rolled his eyes and went to his desk. He sat down and returned to studying, knowing that the morning would be chaotic.
The morning light flowed into the room, illuminating Kai's messy space. It did not resemble that of a panther, but rather a mage's - a reflection of how much the young man despised his own kind.
Kai didn't sleep much, as was normal for him. He took naps when he wasn't needed. Nevertheless, he kept checking on the boy and reading.
When the boy woke up, his icy blue eyes gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling. He quickly sat up and looked around in a small panic as his tail puffed up.
Kai sighed softly as he set his book down. He stood up, walked over to his bed, and knelt down. "Easy. You are safe here. You are in my room in the Northern castle." He spoke in the voice he had learned to use with Lyra when she first came and had nightmares. "I'm Kai. What is your name?" By now, his cat ears had disappeared, and he resembled more a mage than a panther.
The child blinked as he listened to the adult. His fox ears twitched attentively, and his gaze darted between the door and the adult. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "...I was called Gin..."
Kai blinked and then gave a soft hum as he stood up. "Well, Gin, let's get you cleaned up and fed before the princess learns about you. Just to warn you, she is very hyper and child-like, so don't be scared."
Gin felt a bit uncertain but nodded in agreement. He wasn't one to engage in fights.
The panther hummed lightly, then walked over to the basin of warm water and contemplated for a moment. He then turned to the boy. "Would you prefer a real bath instead of a cloth?"
The young kitsune contemplated, "A bath..."
Kai nodded. "I thought so. Follow me." He waited for the child to slide off, then walked over to him. He turned and led the child into his personal bathroom. It was clean and simple, with plants around, and there was running water. (1)
Kai started the bath and warmed the water before helping Gin out of his clothes. He then assisted Gin into the tub. After a moment of thought, he hummed lightly. "I'll go get a maid to help you wash. Just stay calm. You are safe here, and try to keep your emotions in check," he said, not unkindly but lacking warmth. He turned and walked out of the small room.
Gin didn't say anything as he looked down at the clear water. It was warm and felt oddly nice. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this good. He splashed water onto his face, enjoying the warmth in a childlike yet quiet manner.
A young maid entered and blinked. She hadn't seen a child as small as him before. Then she shook her head and got to work. She was very gentle as she cleaned his body, face, and hair. She was particularly careful around his fox ears. She softly commented on how well he was behaving and how soft his tail and ears were. She never overstepped, but she made sure he was very clean.
Gin blushed slightly at the comments, but he remained silent. He didn't argue with her. In fact, he moved to help her clean him up. Once the bath was over, he even allowed her to assist him in getting dressed in clean robes.
Once all clean and dressed, the maid led Gin out of the bathroom and back into Kai's room. Kai was reading a book as he waited. He looked over as the maid bowed her head. "The young one is now all clean."
Kai nodded thoughtfully. "Good job. Go prepare some soft food for the boy. It would be best for him to eat in here until Lyra meets him."
The maid nodded as she pondered. She understood the nature of their princess; everyone knew how she was. Therefore, she believed the mage was right. "As you requested, I'll go bring him some food," she said. With that, the maid left the room.
It took some time, but by the time the maid returned, Kai had situated Gin at his desk to eat. He allowed the maid to place the tray down in front of Gin, who looked up at Kai. The panther hummed softly. "Eat up, but eat slowly."
The boy nodded and ate slowly. After a while, he finished everything and felt full. He slid out of the chair and looked up at Kai while the maid cleaned up and took away the tray.
The panther watched in silence as he went through. Once Gin was finished, he let out a small sigh. "And now we go see the princess..."
The maid stopped at the door and turned. "Oh, the princess is out in the garden. She wanted to play with Kauran after feeding, so that is what she went to do." With that, the maid left.
Kai blinked and then sighed softly. "Let's go..."
Lyra was indeed acting like a child as she played with Kauran, who was in his wolf form. Ryan was nearby, practicing with his sword. However, as soon as Lyra saw Kai, she ran up to him and hugged him.
Kai sighed softly as he gently patted her head. He was so accustomed to her doing this that he didn't stop her. Although everyone knew Kai wasn't interested in girls, it didn't stop the princess from being clingy toward him. He looked down at her and hummed lightly. "Lyra, there is someone you need to meet."
She blinked as she looked up at him. "Oh who Kitty?" But she didn't let him answer as she noticed the small boy. She removed her arms from Kai and walked over to Gin and knelt down. "Hello there."
Gin blinked, then looked from her to Kai and back at her. "H-hello... I'm Gin..."
Lyra hummed softly as she reached over and gently touched one of his fox ears. "What a cute ice kitsune! Why don't you stay here in the castle and play with me?"
Kauran and Kai both sighed lightly, unsure of how their princess would cope with the hanyō. Ryan looked over and simply shrugged.
Since that moment, Gin lived in the northern castle. He mostly played with Lyra or studied under Rain to control his ice magic. No one really minded him, and he grew up there.
Gin returned to the castle after assisting Rain with a few tasks. He had just placed his belongings in his room when Lyra rushed over and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, though not as tightly. "How is my princess?"
Lyra looked up at him with a soft hum. "Gin, I've been thinking... what would you say to being one of my paladins?"
He blinked and then thought. "I've been waiting for you to ask, but Lyra, why do you really call your guardians 'Paladins'?"
The princess blinked and then smiled softly. "Simple. Paladins sound much cooler than guards or guardians, and they are way better than knights."
The kitsune blinked, then let out a soft laugh. He then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Then sure, I'll be one of your paladins. I doubt things will be any different."
She blushed softly and then giggled gently. "Right."
Note: (1) I have it set that with the help of magical tools, high ranked and royal family have running water like the human realm. Not everyone has hot running water. Sorry.
